Administration develops new problem to solve tardiness

Beginning this October, students may find themselves being awakened by their phones rather than by their alarm clocks. Assistant Principal Jennifer Nzeza and Principal Dr. Stephen Covert identified tardiness as a problem on campus last May. High school teachers were asked to complete a survey, through which many reported that students were habitually late.Administration now plans to enact a policy to target and reduce tardiness — the Wake Up Club.

As a tool for tardiness prevention, a mandatory and administration-supervised Wake Up Club will enroll students who have received five or more tardies throughout the year. Those selected will have automated phone calls sent out every morning to their homes. For students who begin school first period, calls will be sent between 6:30 a.m. and 6:45 a.m.

Students who improve their attendance will be taken off of the list, while those who receive more than five tardies will be actively added throughout the year.

The current disciplinary system for frequently late students requires a warning from the teacher for the first offense, parent notification and a referral for the second offense and a detention and additional referral for the third offense.

According to Nzeza, tardiness has had a negative impact on students and teachers alike. “Students need to be on time,” she said. “This will assist teachers. They won’t get interrupted while lecturing if fewer students arrive late. The main purpose of it [the Wake Up Club] is to improve the attendance in high school.”

Covert plans to inform families about the new program through the Pine Views newsletter before initiating phone calls.

Nzeza expects students’ families to also be affected by the phone calls. “I would imagine it would definitely impact siblings who may be younger. The idea, again, is to encourage students to be on time to class. When students are late it is disruptive to the learning environment and detrimental to their progress,” she said.

English teacher Nicole Light agreed that tardiness is a problem, but disagreed with the new solution. “My philosophy is that students have to be responsible for their own schedule. I think Pine View should stick to the original rules regarding tardiness and bar students from taking a first period class if they often arrive late to it.”

Tenth-grader Arielle Jordan said that the new system is unlikely to be more effective than the current one. “In theory it would work, but knowing the nature of Pine View students, it’s not going to be successful,” she said.